Upright-piano-forte action



(No Model.)

A. K. HBBARD.

Upright Piano Forte Action. N0. 242,312. Patented May 31,1881.

N. PETERS. Phulo-LkhograpMn Walbinllun, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT K. HEBARD, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

UPRlGHT-PIANO-FORTE ACTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,312, dated May 31, 1881,

Application filed February Q3, 188i. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT K. HEBARD, of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Upright- Piano-Forte Actions, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates more particularly to upright-pianoforte actions.

This invention consists, in substance, first, of a jack in one part hinged on a stationary rail and connected tothe key and in the other part hinged to a hammer-butt and arranged to rest upon its said hinged part, all in such manner and in such relation to each other and to the key and hammer that on a depression of the finger end of the key the hammer will be thrown toward and against its string, and at or before striking the same the part of the jack connected to the hammer-butt will of itself have changed position in relation to the hin ged part of the jack and the hammer-butt, so as to allowr the hammer to return from the string and to be caught against another' rebound under the saine depression of the key by the then relative positions of the two parts of the ljack, and on a lift of the key to return of themselves to their normal position, all substantially as hereinafter described second, in piano-actions, the combination of a Fulcrum-pin for the hammer-butt, or for other parts of the action that swing about a center made with a rounded and with a lia-t portion, and of a spring arranged to bear upon said ilat portion, all substantially as hereinafter and for the purpose described. These vare the principal features of this invention, and in the accompanying plate ot' drawings they, as well as all parts going to make up this improved piano-action, are shown.

Figure 1 is a side elevation with the action at rest; Fig. 2, a side elevation with the parts of the action in their position just prior to the striking of the string by the hammer, and in dotted lines they are shown in their position Vafter the escape and release of the hammer from the string; Figs. 3 and 4, views in detail of the fulcrum-pin and its spring in connection with thev parts of the action.

In the drawings, A represents a pianoforte key, arranged to operate as usual a, a vertical socket-block on inner end of key, and there secured by a vertical screw-pin, l), for adjustment in height.

B is a round vertical rod, which rests at its lower end in the socket of key-block a, and at its upper end enters a socket, d, in the under side of a horizontal lever, C, having its fulcrum f upon the under side of a horizontal rail, D. This rod is the lifter of the action.

E is the hammer attached to stem g, which, in turn, is attached to a butt-piece, 7i, hung within a flange, 7:, secured to the upper side of the rail D.

lis a vertical iiy-arm, which at the upper end is pivoted to thehammer-butt 7L, and atits lower end rests upon the upper surface of the horizontal lever O, and with such lever makes the jack of this action. This fly has a bent spring, c, attached to it, which at its free end rests against the front face of the hammer-butt h, and the jack-lever C in front of the said ily has a recess or depression, m, guarded at its front end by a cushioned vertical projection, a, of the lever.

o is a cushioned button-head attached to a screw-threaded pin, p, and arranged to screw into the horizontal rail F of the rail D, and to have the button-head which it carries in position for the upper side ot' the jack-lever to abut against it, as will hereinafter appear.

G is the damper.' This damper is secured to a vertical lever, H, which has its fulcrum at q in a flange, i', ot' the rail D, and below such fulerum an upright extension, s, of the jack-lever O bears against its front face. The fnlcrum of the jack-lever, the hammer-butt, and the damper-lever are each of similar construction and arrangement, consisting in substance ofa pin, t, having a round and aliat or square portions, a and r, respectively, and a 'flat spring, fw, secured at one end, and at its other or free end in position to bear and press against the vflat or square portion e. The swing of either of these parts in one direction is against the fiat spring and in the other direction with it, and thus the part when swung in one direction against its spring is returned by the reaction of such spring to its original or normal position, and the arrangement of each part, as above described, is'such as to secure its return after the key is struck, as will hereinafter appear.

IOO

The several parts above described constitute in substance the piano-forte action, and when the action and key are at rest and in their normal position the damperis in contact with the string, the hammer is away from the string, and the jack-ily Z is at rest on the u pper side of the jack-lever, and in such rest is substantially vertical relative to the horizontal direction of the jackiever. A depression of the iinger end of the key raises its inner end, and through its lifter B lifts the jack-lever G, which raises the iiy Z, and through it swings the hammer toward the string, and when the key has reached the limit of its dip, or when the jack-lever has come to a rest against the button-head 0, the hammer, owing to the momentum it has acquired through the operation ofthe parts, as above described, continues its movement toward the string, and thus the jack-Hy lis caused to leave its bearing upon the upper side of the jack-lever, and under the action otl its spring c swings forward against the cushioned projection ot' the j ack-lever, and as the hammer then returns from the strings, because of its rebound and the reaction ot' its spring w, the said iiy enters into and comes to a rest within the depression m, which allows such escape of the hammer from the string and against the cushioned projection a of the jack-lever C, which holds the hammer against movement until the pressure on the iin ger end of the key is released, and in such respect acts similarly to the ordinary back catch of a pianoforte action.

The damper G is made to leave its string J in the depression of the key by and through the pressure of the upright extension s of the jack-lever against it, and returns to its position of rest against the string when the key is released.

The forward swing of the hammer, the upward swing or lift of the jacklever, and the swing of the damper from its rest against the string are severally against the springs zo, which bear upon their respective fulcrum-pins, and the backward swing of the hammer, the downward swing oi` the jack-lever, and the return of the damper to the string are severally by and because of the reaction ot the same springs; and in each instance, when these several parts are in their normal positions of rest, the springs bear against the ilat side of their respective fulcrum-pins; and as the several parts are swung in the operation ofthe action above described this relative position of the flat side of the fulcrumpins and the spring changes, and thus they are placed in position for a reaction ofthe spring to secure a return of the parts, as described. rlhe return ofthe hammer to its normal position carries thejackiiy back toits normal position of rest upon the jack-lever.

The construction oi' the fulcrum-pins and their combination and arrangement with liat springs herein described, in addition to the operations above stated, enable the several parts to be readily removed from and inserted in their position in the action, and again, while such construction and arrangement constitute one part of this invention, it is plain that the Operation of the other part making up the piano-forte action herein described is independent ofthe same, except so far as they act to return the parts, as described, which could be secured, as is obvious, by means of springs otherwiseapplied-as, forinstance, in the usual manner practiced in piano-forte actions; but it is preferable to use the construction and arrangement described, as it is novel, simple, and advantageous, as is obvious.

The operation of the action as to the throw of the hammer and its return is obviously in dependent of the movement of the damper, and, again, the damper, although described as operated from the movement ofthe jack-lever, may be operated direct from the key, as in other actions.

The lii'ter B may be connected in various ways to the keyand the jack-lever other than that described; and again, it may be of various construction other than that described. The lifter shown, however, is suitable to se cure the lit't ofthe jack described.

rIdhe piano-action herein described possesses power, repeat, lightness to the touch, and quick movement, all, as is obvious, essentials in such contrivances.

This action is regulated by adjusting the screw-socket block a and the buttoirhead 0, as is plain without further description, and again, to prevent noise, its parts are to be properly hushed or cushioned.

In this action the escape77 between the hammer butt and jack, it' it may be so termed, occurs because ofthe momentum which the hammer has under the depression of the key.

The projection a on jack-lever G may b c dispensed with, and an ordinary back catch attached to the jack-lever used in lieu thereof", but it is preferable to use it as described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Iatent, is

l. In a pianoforte action, a jack composed ot' a lever, C, hinged to a stationary rail, and recessed, as atm, and ot a iiy, l, provided with a spring, c, and arranged to rest upon the lever and hinged to a hammer-butt, h, in eombination with a hammerkey connected with the jack-lever G, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a piano-action, a jack composed of a lever, G, hinged to a stationary rail, and re cessed and shouldered, as at m and u, and of a tl y, l, provided with a spring, c, and arranged to rest upon the lever and hinged to a hammer-butt, 7L, in combination with a piano-key, A, connected with the jack-lever C, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a piano-action, a jack composed of a lever, C, hinged to a stationary rail, and recessed, as at m, and otl a iiy, Z, provided with IIO a spring, C, and arranged to rest upon the leface c and rounded face u, in combination with ver and hinged to a hammer-butt, h, in comthc flat spring w, against which the edges or bination with a piano-key, A, connected by a corners of the flat face of the pin operate, subr 5 lifter-rod, B, to the jack-lever C, substantially stantiall y as and for the purpose described. 5 as and for the purpose described. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 4f. Apiano-forte action composed of apianomy hand in the presence of two subscribing key, A, lifter-rod B, jack-lever G,jack-ly Z and Witnesses.

its spring c hammer E and its butt h, and damper G and its lever H, all constructed and ALBERT K HEBARD' 1o arranged together to operate substantially as litnesses and for the purpose specified. EDWIN W. BROWN, 5. The fulcruin-pin t, formed with the flat 1 WM. S.BELLOWs. 

